Does Newbee’s acquisition of Forward Gaming break DPC rules?

Newbee announced on Twitter yesterday that they would be acquiring the stranded Dota 2 players, coach and manager left from the Forward Gaming disbandment. This news came less than a month before Dota 2’s biggest event of the year The International 2019 (TI9).

Since the team had already qualified for TI9, it has been a question as to where they would land. The Newbee acquisition means that the ex-Forward Gaming team will likely be able to prepare themselves in Shanghai where Newbee is headquartered and conveniently also the location of TI9. Considering the timeline, the news couldn’t be more suitable.

The thing is, Newbee’s main Dota 2 squad didn’t make it through the China regional qualifiers. So the question is, what team will the ex-Forward Gaming roster be competing under?

Dota Pro Circuit implemented rules last year to prevent esports organizations from creating multiple auxiliary teams to increase chances of placing in The International. Last year, the DPC released a statement saying, “in cases where one organization or person has ownership in multiple teams, only one of those teams will be eligible to compete in The International,” and also, “all ownership conflicts will need to be resolved prior to TI Regional Qualifiers.”

This would clearly be an illegal move if Newbee qualified. Newbee hasn’t competed in The International, but they did compete in The International Qualifiers.

Considering the situation of Forward Gaming’s abrupt closure, it’s likely Valve chooses a policy that benefits both the fans and players alike. However, the current policy doesn’t give us a clear answer.